The Evolution of Atlas: A Breeding (and Chat) Thread

[1muttsfan]

Stands like a boy

 

[speckledhen]

Stands like a boy

It does, but usually, the males have red on shoulders and chests without patterning. The one in question has patterning in both places, but the comb is pinkish. Here is the obvious cockerel in the younger group, so that's what I am looking for, those solid red feathers. None are out, at least, not yet, and it's older than this guy here.

 

[getaclue]

Love all the calves. Soooo cute!

The chicks are adorable too.

 

[holm25]

The chicks are looking good Cyn!

 

[holm25]

Got another calf last night. Beautiful heifer. This cow raises the best heifer ever year she has one.

 

[speckledhen]

Got another calf last night. Beautiful heifer. This cow raises the best heifer ever year she has one.

Beautiful! Another little girl, awesome!


Yesterday, Piglet, his brother and the Brahma chick were outside. DH was in the hammock and they were dustbathing underneath him. As I was walking out the barn door, someone close to us with a loud muffler gunned an engine. It scared Piglet to death. I turned just as I heard DH say, "Did that scare you?". I saw poor little Piglet run-waddling as fast as he could toward the barn and safety and I bent down, opened my hands and he ran right into them. I scooped up the poor baby and he snuggled up to me. I almost cried because he's so precious and sweet and adorable and I know I'll probably watch him die soon. This is the really awful part of this gene, the reason I don't just keep breeding and just let the dwarfs come then self-cull. It's heartbreaking.


Today, this pic shows the major size difference in Piglet and his brother.




And someone tell me if this other 5 week old cockerel looks weird to you. Maybe he's hunched down some, but something about this one's head seems off, too. The one on the right is Pooh-bear, the female dwarf. She is so skittish.




Maybe he was just hunched in the cool air, because I took this one just a couple days ago, but the head still seems not quite the right shape. Time will tell.


The older cockerel is very handsome and full of himself.

 

[GingersHuman]

Awww, poor little Piglet.

 

[speckledhen]

Awww, poor little Piglet.

 

[getaclue]

Awwww, sorry Piglet got scared. At lest he knows where safety is.

 

[speckledhen]

Awwww, sorry Piglet got scared. At lest he knows where safety is.

If he was going to live, he could be in with Dusty and that old hens group, just like Xander was, but he won't make it that long, I'm afraid.